Dyslexia and Right-Brain Learners

Dyslexia affects a large population of the public, especially now that we understand that it is not limited to people who “read their letters backwards.” Rather, dyslexia encompasses a host of varying reading, spelling, and writing disabilities or differences.

Another characteristic that affects a large population of the public is right-brained thinking. This refers to individuals with strong visual skills and memory who tend to store and access information mostly in picture form. For the right brained learner, pictures are their main line of information – – words are secondary sources at most.

Researchers have been making connections in recent years between right-brained thinking and dyslexia. It makes sense that those who struggle with word-based tasks might not be “learning disabled” as much as they are just “learning different”. In fact, in visual spatial skills, even right-brained learners who are severely dyslexic can outperform their left-brained peers 2 to 1. While logical, or sequential tasks can stump them, these learners can show incredible strength in holistic and creative tasks.

This being the case, children with dyslexia should definitely be tested for brain dominance. If your child seems to be a visual thinker, then it will not be enough to just “treat” the dyslexia. Right-brained visual learners need to be taught in specific ways that will capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Dyslexia and Right-Brain Learners Are Often The Same Student

What is dyslexia is really difficulty learning to read the way the student is taught.

Then one might come to the conclusion to both assess for brain dominance and them teach according to a student’s strengths. If you did this, you would be 1/4 of the way there.

The second key point is that these students with the combination of dyslexia and right-brain learners are more likely to have an attention, eye-teaming or both issues.

The third points is that for students with the combination of dyslexia and right-brain learners, there is a significant chance that the student has an attention, eye-teaming or both issues

The fourth and most critical issue is for the parents to find the right program that teaches to their right-brain learner’s strengths, identifies and address the challengers, and helps the parents to the coach that their child with the combination of dyslexia and right-brain learner needs.